


have yourself a merry little christmas

by themysticalsong



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: AU, Baby! Mattex, F/M, Mattex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 05:59:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1103241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themysticalsong/pseuds/themysticalsong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halting in his steps, Matt looked up and found his classmate walking towards him. She was new in their grade, her parents just having shifted to the house next to his. Her curls pulled in big and bushy pigtails, fire in her eyes, she looked just about ready to beat him up, “Following me to make fun of my hair again, are you?” jabbing her finger in his chest, she continued, “You are all just big bullies! Just big bullies!”</p><p> </p><p>Before he could understand what was happening, she punched him and ran away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	have yourself a merry little christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OnceUponaSwanQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponaSwanQueen/gifts).



> I wrote this as a part of Mattex Secret Santa, 2013.
> 
> Those tiny snippets took on a life of their own and I just...Anyways, Baby!Mattex! I couldn't stop drawing them as babies, so why not write one such piece, yeah? It was supposed to be up on Christmas, but life intervened.
> 
> Oh, well, a late Merry Christmas! :)
> 
> Enjoy! xoxo

 

 

 

   

Walking back from school, his bag carelessly slung over a shoulder, Matt Smith was bored out of his mind. He wished he could just play football all day. That was fun. School was getting weirder every day, plus his classmates were getting more and more annoying every year. Imagining it to be a football, he kicked a tiny pebble lying on the curb, and continued with his musing.

 

 

“Ow!”

 

 

He froze. Apparently he had hit someone. Halting in his steps, Matt looked up and found his classmate walking towards him. She was new in their grade, her parents just having shifted to the house next to his. Her curls pulled in big and bushy pigtails, fire in her eyes, she looked just about ready to beat him up, “Following me to make fun of my hair again, are you?” jabbing her finger in his chest, she continued, “You are all just big bullies! Just big bullies!”

 

 

Confused, he looked at her, “Sorry?”

 

 

Before he could understand what had happened, the girl punched him and ran away. Gaping at her retreating form, Matt stood there for a few minutes, and then resumed his walk back home.

 

 

She was new there. Her family had just moved. His school being the nearest, her parents were sending her there. She was his age- his classmate, but he had hardly ever seen her talking to other kids in class. He usually saw her sitting by herself, all alone. For past few days, however, their grade bully, Billy had taken an interest in her, which meant, that at every available turn, he was there to tease and bully her. It had been almost a week. He felt sorry for her.

 

 

 _‘But what was her name? Something royal_ ,’ Matt thought. “King- King- Kingdom?” _What kind of a name would that be?!_ It was only when he almost ran into a tree that he remembered her name, “Kingston!”

 

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

Lynne Smith was folding her son’s clothes when the said ten year old flopped down on the couch, gazing fixedly at absolutely nothing. Worried, she went up to him, “Honey, are you alright? Did something happen at school?”

 

 

He looked at her, a serious look- strange on him- in his eyes, “Mum, am I a bad boy?”

 

 

Smiling, she sat down next to him, “Did you do something that would make you a bad boy?”

 

 

“Not really. But I think _she_ thinks I’m bad.”

 

 

Confused, she asked, “Who?”

 

 

“That-that girl- the one who just came to live next to us.”

 

 

“Sweetheart, did you do something?”

 

 

“Nothing!” and all of a sudden his shoulders sagged, “Oh. I did nothing. I didn’t stop them.” He turned to his mother, “Billy and the others keep teasing her. About her hair. She sits all alone, by herself, and because of Billy, nobody talks to her.” Frowning, he added, “And they keep calling her ‘Nazi’ for some reason. Mum, what’s a Nazi? Why would they call her that?”

 

 

Her heart going out to the poor girl, she spoke, “Honey, let’s just say it’s not a good thing, okay?” Smiling at her son, she asked, “The question is, how does that make _you_ a bad person?” and then her smile dropped, “Matt, did you tease her too? Did you along with the others tease her?”

 

 

His eyes wide, Matt immediately countered, “No! No! I promise mummy, I did no such thing.”

 

 

“Then why do you think she considers you a bad person?”

 

 

“She punched me”, he mumbled in a way that had it been anyone else, they would have missed it entirely. Being his mother, of course, Lynne heard it clearly, and chuckled. Stifling her laughter at the resultant pout on her son’s face, she got up, “Come on, now, then. You need to apologise to her. I am going to make some brownies. You are going to” she pushed him towards his room “freshen up, and then, you are going to the Kingstons, and apologise to her. And if no one wants to be her friend because of some bully, my brave little boy is going to show them otherwise. Now, go, get ready.”

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

A plate of brownies in his hand, Matt scuffed the dirt on the floor with the tip of his shoe. His mum wanted him to apologise and make friends with that girl, and he was just afraid she’d punch him.

 

 

He was about to knock again, when the door opened, and the curly headed girl came in front of him, “You!?” and was about to shut the door in his face, when a kind looking woman- _must be Mrs. Kingston_ , he thought- came behind her, “Alex! Is this the way we behave with guests?”

 

 

He had a feeling Alex might have punched him again had it not been for her mother. Alex looked at her mother, and gritting her teeth, she spoke, glaring at him, “Sorry.” Rolling her eyes at her mother’s huff, Alex ushered him in.

 

 

Nervous, Matt immediately thrust the plate of brownies in her hand, “This-here! Me mum sent these for you.”

 

 

Narrowing her eyes at him, Alex turned to her mother, kept the plate in the kitchen, and with a deadly smile, dragged him to the backyard.

 

 

“ _Why_ are you here? Wanted to make fun of me here at my home too?”

 

 

His eyes widened, “No! No. I--”

 

 

“I don’t need you and your classmates to tell me I’m not pretty. I know it, okay? I just--”, she huffed and turned away to scoop her pet rabbit in her arms.

 

 

Matt looked at her for some time, and then softly spoke, as if lost somewhere, “I think you are pretty.”

 

 

When Alex turned to look at him, her eyes curious, he continued, as if in a trance, “You look like Lor’s dollies. With curly hair”, and blushed a fierce red at the end of his sentence, a bright pink tinge making its appearance on Alex’s cheeks (he chanced a look at her).

 

 

Silence reigned over the two ten year olds for some time, neither of them knowing how to break it. Recovering first, his face still a bit red, Matt extended his hand towards Alex, “So, friends, then?”

 

 

Alex looked at him for a moment, and when he became sure she was going to reject, she clasped his hand in her tiny one, beaming at him, “Yeah. Friends.”

 

 

~~*~~

 

**December 24 th, 1997**

Snuffling in her sleep, Alex burrowed further in her blanket and pulled Mr. Snuffles, her favourite teddy bear, close.

 

 

She was dreaming of strueselkuchens when something woke her up. Sitting up in her bed, Alex groggily looked around. She waited for a few more moments, and almost jumped when she heard a tap on her window. For a moment, she sat still, stunned, her mind screaming _‘Ghosts!’_ When another tap sounded, she huffed, and throwing her blankets, went up to the window to see what was making the sound.

 

 

Brave as she might be, there was still a part of her that was scared that it might be ghosts. Stepping up to the window, she opened the window with shaky hands. Before she could open her eyes, she felt something hit her on her forehead, and immediately covered her face with her hands.

 

 

_"Aaaleeexxx!!!"_

 

 

Wait.

 

 

That.

 

 

The voice was familiar. Even as a loud whisper, the voice was familiar. Alex peeked from behind her fingers and immediately removed her hands from her face and groaned, "Why??"

 

 

Right there, in front of her, beaming at her and bouncing on his toes was her friend, Matt. “Its Christmas, Kingston!”

 

 

Used to his antics by now, she simply said, “Its bedtime, Matt.”

 

 

He grinned at her, completely ignoring her response, “Grab your coat, Kingston. Gotta show you something!”

 

 

Giving him a withering glance, Alex asked, “What?”

 

 

Matt shook his head, “Nope. Not telling”, and affecting his best pout, pleaded, “come on, Alex! _Please_!”

 

 

Unable to resist his pouty face, grumbling, Alex pulled on a thick coat. Checking if her hair was still in the neat braids her mother had put it in, she turned towards Matt, “Okay. Show me now.”

 

 

Grinning, Matt bopped her nose, and taking her hand in his, pulled her along, “Come along, Kingston!”

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

They had been walking for almost 20 minutes, when Alex repeated her question, “Where are we going?” She must have asked him the same question a thousand times within now and he, infuriatingly, just kept saying, ' _You'll see._ ' It was freezing. All she wanted to do was to curl up under her blankets with Mr. Snuffles and sleep.

 

 

Lost in her thoughts, Alex did not see Matt stop, and bumped into him. “What--”, her tone grumpy, she started to ask the question, when she saw why Matt had stopped and where he had stopped, and switched mid sentence, “-is this place?”

 

 

Matt simply grinned at her in response, and bounced his way towards the picnic hamper kept at the foot of one of the trees surrounding the small clearing. Pulling out a biscuit, he beamed at her, “This, my Kingston, is my spot!” When Alex just blinked at him in confusion, Matt huffed, “Well, you see, its my spot; my corner. Whenever me mum gets pissed, or I want to be alone, I come here.” A little unsure at the lack of response, he mumbled, “Wanted to share it with you.”

 

 

Alex just stood there, rooted in her spot, looking between him and the hamper, “Do you always bring your friends here?”

 

 

Matt looked down, a little shy, and mumbled, “No. Just you.”

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

He looked at her, his hair falling into his eyes, and answered, “Because who else? You are my best friend!” and then, in almost a whisper, added, “and because I like you.”  Then walking up to her, Matt took hold of her hand, suddenly grinning, and spoke excitedly, “Now, come on! I haven’t packed a feast for us just for you to stand there!”

 

 

“A feast?”

 

 

“Yeah! Chocolates, biscuits, juice, my mum’s pudding! Everything! What else could you want?”

 

 

Laughing, Alex bounced alongside him and went up to the spot.

 

 

Something was missing though.

 

 

Frowning, Alex looked at Matt, “Where are we going to sit?”

 

 

“Wh-? Right here, of course”, Matt gestured with his hand. When Alex kept looking between him and the ground, he followed her gaze, suddenly realizing he hadn’t brought anything for them to sit on. “Oh ”

 

 

“Yes. Oh.”

 

 

Thinking for a moment, a frown appearing, and then immediately disappearing on his face, Matt took off his coat, and laid it down on the ground. Looking up at Alex, he beamed, “There! Solved!”, and flicked his hair back with his hand, “Ha!”

 

 

It was a brilliant solution, but Alex had different ideas, “What if we get cold?”

 

 

 

“Um-“, looking around, he suddenly grinned “Easy! Then we use your coat!”

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

**December 24 th, 2005**

 

 

“You didn't tell me you were coming here.”

 

 

Matt almost jumped at the sound of her voice. Without turning, he spoke, “Didn't think you would want to come.”

 

 

“Is it about Dave?” Alex asked, biting her lip.

 

 

“Why would it be about _Dave_? I just wanted to spend some time alone. I came here,” his tone becoming harsh, he added, “This is my corner. _My spot._ ”

 

 

“I-“, she started, and then seemingly changed her mind mid sentence, “Never mind. I'll just go. Sorry to have bothered you.”

 

 

Ignoring the hurt in her voice, Matt asked, “Why are you here tonight, Alex? Thought you had a date.”

 

 

Alex flinched at his tone. It was good he had her back towards her or he would have seen the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Bowing her head to hide her tears, she spoke, “Every year. Every year for past 8 years, you have woken me up on Christmas eve, well past our bedtime, to come here. For our own Christmas feast. Here. You told me you hadn’t ever brought anyone here. That you wanted to share it with me. I thought it meant something. I thought it was our-', she abruptly turned away, “But you didn’t ask me to join you tonight, did you? Clearly, you don’t want me here. I'll leave you alone. Its your spot. I'm the intruder. I'll go.”

 

 

Finally hearing the confusion in her voice, first, and then the pain, Matt instantly felt horrible. She was hurting. And it was because of him. It hurt- more than he ever thought possible. Instantly getting up, Matt made his way to Alex's retreating form, and caught her wrist.

 

 

 

“Alex, please stay. I am sorry. I was jealous. We always spent Christmas eve together. But this year--”, he paused, and then continued, “I didn't think you'd want to come. You said you were going out with Dave. I thought I could come here alone. I was wrong, and I’m sorry, Alex.” Her hand still in his, he pulled her towards the spot with him, talking all the way, “But, you are here, now, and that’s all that matters. We have a tradition of our own, and I am not the one to argue with traditions”, then turning towards Alex, he added, “Unfortunately, this year, you'll have to do with just a chocolate bar and some biscuits, Kingston. I didn't think of bringing anything more with me. I hope that’s alright. I could take you out for a treat after I get my Christmas money.”

 

 

He continued rambling and Alex had to tighten her hold on his wrist to grab his attention. In a soft voice, almost a hushed whisper, she spoke, “I broke up with Dave.”

 

 

Turning around, his mouth slightly open, an unsuccessful attempt at hiding the joy apparent in his eyes, Matt asked, “Why?”

 

 

“Pretty self explanatory, I think. I'd rather spend my time having biscuits and hot chocolate with my giraffe of a friend, talking absolute nonsense, than spend it snogging the hottest boy in school”, she looked at Matt, biting her lip, “What do you think?”  When he did not say anything for a long time, Alex started to fidget, becoming nervous. "Matt, say something!"

 

 

He slowly smiled, her words finally sinking in, his eyes lighting up. Beaming at this non verbal response, Alex flung her arms around him, hugging him close. In response, Matt tightened his arms around her, lifting her up, and laughed.

 

 

"Merry Christmas, Kingston!"

 

 

 

~~*~~

****

****

****

**December 24 th, 2008**

 

 

She snuggled into the blankets, trying to sleep. Alex didn’t know why she was even trying. It was futile. Sleep wouldn't come. A habit of 11 years isn't that easy to give up. She glanced at the clock. It would be Christmas in few hours. Her parents had gone to Germany to celebrate Christmas with her mother’s cousins, and Matt was still in Cardiff. Her first Christmas all alone. Hopefully, it would be the last one too. When she caught herself gazing at the window for the third time, she huffed and switched off the lamp, burrowing further into the blankets. Matt wasn't going to come. Not tonight.

 

 

Both her and Matt had found acting jobs now. She had been cast in a recurring role in a famous sci-fi show. This year Matt had been cast as the lead in that show, and she was playing the same role opposite him. She couldn't understand what had happened. How had it come to _this_. For the first time in 3 years they were both in the same place. They had plans about moving in together once they were both done with the show, both of them saving up for it. Every now and then, they found time for each other and snuck out for dates and such. But it wasn't always fun. On the set, there was a strict policy against relationship with co-stars, and they had to work hard to hide their relationship from others. The stress of hiding was beginning to strain their relationship.

 

 

Their most recent argument had felt like the last straw. She had walked out in anger, and was currently at her parents' place in London. As it was, she wasn't needed in Cardiff at the moment. Matt, however, was due to come the next day. Tears stung her eyes when she thought of Matt. Her sweet, clumsy, adorable Matt. It had been more than a week since they had last talked. She missed him. She wished he would just call. But knew he wouldn’t. She had told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want him to call her. But didn’t he understand? She was angry, pissed at him for letting the other girls flirt with him. Oh, she knew this wouldn’t in any way affect Matt’s love for her, but all that flirting still hurt. She had only flirted with Jamie in retaliation.

 

 

Pulling the plush giraffe he had gifted her on their first Christmas as a friend closer, she began to lose herself in the memories of the past Christmases. All those Christmas feasts they had had in their spot. Each year more ridiculous than the previous one. At the same time, it was more beautiful too. As much as Christmas with her family meant to her, this Christmas tradition she and Matt had started was special too. She looked down at the giraffe with a fond smile. Matt had bought it from the money he had saved throughout the year. He had bought her a plush fish the next Christmas, calling it Jim. _‘Jim the Fish,_ ’ she whispered, imagining it in Matt’s voice. She just wanted to talk to him. She wanted to know they were okay. She knew it sounded extremely desperate, even in her own head, but she did not want something as stupid as jealousy destroying their relationship.

 

 

Her decision made, Alex pulled the blanket further over herself to finally sleep. She had only begun to drift off, when she heard 3-4 pebbles tap against her bedroom window in quick succession.

 

 

"Matt!" she exclaimed excitedly in recognition and quickly jumped off the bed, opening the window. And he was there. Standing outside her window, grinning at her and bouncing on his toes, just the way she had found him all those years ago. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him inside, flinging her arms around him in a fierce hug, “Oh God! Matt! I am so, so sorry, darling! I have missed you so much!” She finally let her tears fall when she felt Matt’s arms tighten around her, his nose in her hair, taking in her scent. “I am so sorry, darling, and I love you so much! Please just-just forgive me.” Rest of her apology was swallowed by Matt when he silenced her with a kiss.

 

 

Like a drowning man gulps in air, they kissed each other fiercely, whispering their apologies against the other’s lips, his hands cupping her face, and hers on his chest- her right hand on his heart. Matt broke the kiss when the need to breathe became important, still pecking her softly, and rested his forehead against hers. She started to apologise again when Matt placed a finger on her lips, and softly whispered, “Hush now, love.”

 

 

They stood like that for a few moments. When Matt finally pulled away, his hands still on her waist, refusing to let go, he grinned mischievously. Oh how she had missed that stupid smile of his! But first things first. “Darling, what--”, she had only began to ask what was on her mind, when Matt stopped her with a smile, “I think I told you to shush”, then, shifting his hands to grab her wrist, he grinned, pulling her with him. “Come along, Kingston!”

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

After 11 years of walking down the same route, she knew just where they were going. So she took the time to ask what was on her mind. “Not that I am complaining, but what are you doing here, Matt? I thought you were going to come here tomorrow.”

 

 

“What? And leave you alone here to think and rethink and wallow in your misery, and abandon our Christmas tradition?” he grinned and bopped her nose, “Not a chance, Kingston!” then looping her arm with his, he urged her to quicken her steps, “Come on, Kingston! Gotta show you something!”

 

 

On reaching their spot, Alex saw every thing was set up already. Just the way they used to do it as kids. She looked at him in disbelief, “Wh-When?”

 

 

Grinning mischievously, Matt just said one word, “Spoilers!”

 

 

Huffing, Alex turned towards the picnic hamper on the ground, which, by the looks of it, she knew had been prepared by him, and started taking things out. When she finally looked up, Matt was looking at her, all his love in his tender gaze, his hand stretched out towards her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Alex placed her hand in his outstretched palm, and stood up.

 

 

Smiling nervously, Matt pulled her closer, and walked them towards the lake. They stood there, in each other’s arms, for a while. Alex was beginning to drift off, her head resting on Matt’s shoulder, when she heard him whisper her name, “Alex?”

 

 

She looked up, to find him looking at her with a strange expression on his face. “What is it, darling?”

 

 

“Um- I just-uh- well.” Huffing at his stuttering, Matt took a deep breath, “Oh sod it!”

 

 

Confused, Alex looked at him quizzically, and he continued, “Okay, I am really, really nervous, so lets just get to the point, yeah?” And before Alex could blink, Matt was on his knee, a beautiful ring in his shaking hands, looking at her through his fringe with those nervous, yet hopeful eyes, and a nervous smile on his face, “Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston, will you marry me?”

 

 

Her eyes widened, quickly filling up with tears out of pure happiness, and she just kept staring at him, her mouth opening and closing, unable to form words.

 

 

“Just-just take the fucking ring already!", his hands were shaking, and Alex tried to form words around the lump in her throat. “Matt, I--” She stuttered a bit, tears streaming down her cheeks, and Matt knew she was going to say yes. “Just say take it and say yes! Please just say 'Yes'!”

 

 

Her smile bright enough to light up the entire place, Alex could do nothing but nod frantically. Taking that as a yes, Matt stood up and slid the ring on her finger, his hands shaking terribly. Finally finding her words, Alex pulled Matt into a kiss. "Yes! A thousand times, Yes!”

 

 

When the kiss ended, Matt looked as if he was in a trance. Gazing at her, he suddenly grinned, making Alex laugh, "Merry Christmas!" 

 

 

 

_Merry Christmas, indeed._


End file.
